Tuesday July 11, 2023 Stella Zawistowski

 Happy 11th of July!  With words like POP, BLOW, BURST, and GO OFF, this puzzle would have been appropriate for the 4th of July.

16-Across. Stop by briefly: POP IN TO SAY HELLO.

23-Across. Make a rude noise: BLOW A RASPBERRY.

41-Across. Be extremely self-satisfied: BURST WITH PRIDE.

56-Across. Digress from the main topic: GO OFF ON A TANGENT.

Across:

1. Cardi B genre: RAP.  [Name # 1.]  //  I liked how 1-Across crossed with 1-Down. Thoroughly engrossed: RAPT.  

Cardi B (née Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar Cephus; b. Oct. 11, 1992)

4. Sneaky ploys: RUSES.

9. Fashion-forward: CHIC.

13. Boxing family name: ALI.  We often see Laila Ali (née Laila Amaria Ali; b. Dec. 30, 1977), who is the daughter of Muhammad Ali (né Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr.; Jan. 17, 1942 ~ June 3, 2016), in the puzzles.  [Name # 2.]

14. Permit: ALLOW.

15. Transaction in a barter economy: TRADE.

19. YA fiction, e.g., familiarly: TEEN LIT.  YA = Young Adult.

20. Chews out: BERATES.

21. First name of actors Holland and Hollander: TOM.  Tom Holland (né Thomas Stanley Holland; b. June 1, 1996) and Tom Hollander (né Thomas Anthony Hollander; b. Aug. 25, 1967) are both English actors.  They are not household names, at least not in my house.  Together, they become Tom Hollandest.  [Name # 3.]

22. Auction unit: LOT.

31. Positive result at the gym: GAIN.

32. Item on a to-do list: TASK.

33. "I figured it out!": AHA!

34. "The Favourite" queen: ANNE.  The movie The Favourite was about Anne, Queen of Great Britain (Feb. 6, 1665 ~ Aug. 1714).  She ruled as Queen from 1702 until her death 9 years later.  She began her rule as Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland.  In May 1707, the Acts of Union united the kingdoms of England and Scotland as a single sovereign state that became known as Great Britain.  [Name # 4.]

35. Belgian surrealist painter James: ENSOR.  James Ensor (né James Sidney Edouard, Baron Ensor; Apr. 13, 1860 ~ Nov. 19, 1949) is known for expressionism and surrealism.  He is not as well known as some of the other painters of his genre.  A lot of his work is a bit morbid.  [Name # 5.]

37. Freight barge: SCOW.  This has become a crossword staple.

38. Way to go: Abbr.: RTE.  As in Route.

39. Lydic of "The Daily Show": DESI.  Desi Lydic was a correspondent on The Daily Show.  [Name # 6.]

40. Big name in canvas shoes: KEDS.   [Name adjacent.]

46. Precursor to overtime: TIE.

47. Yellowfin tuna: AHI.  Yummers!

48. Shops at Goodwill, perhaps: THRIFTS.

52. Lose control, in a way: SPIN OUT.

58. Much-admired celebrities: IDOLS.  //  And 11-Down. Go nowhere with the engine on: IDLE.  Can an Idol be Idle?

59. Italian herbal liqueur whose name means "bitter": AMARO.

60. Assent from a bride or groom: I DO.

61. Bob Dylan's "Simple Twist of __": FATE.

62. Huffs and puffs: PANTS.

63. Sever, with "off": LOP.

Down:

2. After-sun gel ingredient: ALOE.  A crossword staple for both clue and image ...

3. Speak (up) or quiet (down): PIPE.

4. Got close to empty: RAN LOW.  

5. Disc-tossing team sport: ULTIMATE.  I have a friend whose husband is big on Ultimate (formerly known as Ultimate Frisbee).  He travels all over the country for competitions.

6. Schedule opening: SLOT.

7. Lip balm brand in spherical containers: EOS.  Short for Evolution of Smooth.

8. Clear the deck?: SWAB.  Cute clue.

9. Be inventive: CREATE.

10. Sentry's shout: HALT.

12. Leaders at the top of most corp. hierarchies: CEOs.  As in Chief Executive Officers.

15. Beat strongly: THROB.

17. Recite in a singsong voice: IN TONE.

18. Cry of pain: YELP.

23. __ knots: intricate Black hairstyle: BANTU.  I was not aware of the name of this hairstyle.

24. Sharply hit baseball: LINER.

25. Magician/skeptic The Amazing __: RANDI.  The Amazing Randi was the alter-ego of Canadian-born     (né Randall James Hamilton Zwinge; Aug. 7, 1929 ~ Oct. 20, 2020).  He was known for challenging paranormal and pseudoscientific claims.  [Name # 7.]

26. Informant, in spy lingo: ASSET.

27. Teensy bit: SKOSH.  The word Skosh is derived from the Japanese word Sukoshi which means “a little”.

28. Played Mario Kart, perhaps: RACED.

29. __ Island Red: RHODE.  The Rhode Island Red is the State bird of Rhode Island.  The eggs of the Rhode Island Red are brown.

30. Swerves at sea: YAWS.

31. Attire: GARB.

36. Tear to shreds: RIP A PART.

37. Enjoying Aspen, perhaps: SKIING.

42. Suppress: STIFLE.

43. Squabbles: TIFFS.

44. "Who are __ judge?": WE TO.

45. Safari herbivores: RHINOS.

48. "Bring on the weekend!" letters: TGIF.  Thank Goodness It's Friday.  Also the name of a restaurant chain.

49. Kotb of "Today": HODA.  Hoda Kotb (née Hoda Catherine Kotb; b. Aug. 9, 1964) appeared in a recent Tuesday puzzle.  [Name # 8.]

50. Part of a hair or a tooth: ROOT.

51. Lose control, in a way: SNAP.

52. "South Park" kid in a blue-and-red hat: STAN.  Did you know his last name is Marsh?  [Name # 9.]

53. Trompe l'__: eye-fooling art: OEIL.  Today's French lesson.  For more examples, check out this site.

54. Ctrl-Z, on a PC: UNDO.

55. Sporty car option: T-TOP.

57. Reddit Q&A: AMA.  Ask Me Anything.

Here's the Grid:

חתולה

 

Notes from C.C.:

 

Happy birthday to CanadianEh!, who's been with our blog since 2012. Always enjoy your informative and observant posts, Eh!

Monday July 10, 2023 Karen Lurie

 

Hello Cornerites!

sumdaze here. Today's 43 Across is:             Keep On Keeping On

Curtis Mayfield performs Keep on Keeping On (1971)

It might be best to begin with the reveal today:

56 Across. Happy cry on a fishing trip, and what can be said about the end of the answer to each starred clue?: THAT'S A KEEPER.

All of the starred clues end in a word which is a type of KEEPER. Let's see if that works.

20 Across. *Vegetable tops used in soups and stews: TURNIP GREENS.

A GREENSKEEPER is a specialized gardener who is in charge of maintaining landscaping on golf courses and country clubs.

Is anyone else thinking of Carl, the GREENSKEEPER from Caddyshack (1980)

played by Bill Murray? (1:26 min.)

28 Across. *Comedian who hosted "Full Frontal": SAMANTHA BEE.

Full Frontal was a late-night talk and news satire TV program which aired on TBS from 2016 to 2022. In this case, the constructor needed to use a proper name, as opposed to something like a solitary bee (same number of letters and vowels), so that "BEE" did not share the same meaning in both the fill and the theme.

A BEEKEEPER, also called an 'apiarist', tends honey bee hives.

49 Across. *"Quite the slump there, huh?": OFF YOUR GAME.

One definition of a GAMEKEEPER is a person in charge of the breeding and protection of game animals or birds on a private preserve.

In keeping with Crossword Corner tradition, we will now look at the other clues.

Across:
1. Deep fissure: CHASM.

6. "Permission to Dance" K-pop band: BTS.  I use ATLGranny's memory trick:  Boys That Sing.

9. Tiny bit of matter: ATOM.  Why should you never trust ATOMs? Because they make everything up.

13. Baffling question: POSER. You might guess that its etymology is connected to questions being posed. Right...and that person asking the test questions was called an apposer. source

14. Tear to bits: REND.  Def: to tear (the hair or clothing) as a sign of anger, grief, or despair.

16. Gift wrapper's adhesive: TAPE.  

prom dress & tux made out of duct TAPE

17. Physical therapy, informally: REHAB.

18. Opera solo: ARIA.  

Cecilia Bartoli sings Se Tu M'ami (If You Love Me) by composer Alessandro Parisotti

19. Hits the slopes: SKIS.

23. Promos: ADS.  "Promotions" is abbreviated, so is "ADvertisementS".

26. Skin care brand with a Retinol Correxion line: ROC.  

I have my doubts about a product that does not spell "correction" correctly.

27. Chin beard: GOATEE.  

Dwane The Rock Johnson, rocking his GOATEE
We've seen several GOATEEs in puzzles lately, as well as on some bloggers' faces.

32. Strange: ODD.

33. Door openers: KNOBS.  

Angela Lansbury sings The Age of Not Believing

in BedKNOBS and Broomsticks (1971).

34. Pop, as a bubble: BURST.  

36. Stuffing herb: SAGE.  My grandmother used to make a SAGE stuffing for her Thanksgiving turkey.

37. Outstanding bills: DEBTS.

39. "Pronto!" letters: ASAP.

43. Motif: THEME.  

45. Dried chili in mole sauces: ANCHO.  ¡Delicioso! I would guess that there are as many mole recipes as there are Mexican grandmothers. Not all recipes use ANCHO chilies (dried poblano peppers) but here is a recipe that does.

46. Lively Irish dance: JIG.

52. Infuriate: ENRAGE.  Def: to make (someone) extremely angry and impatient; exasperate.

People who talk loudly on their cell phones in a public space can be infuriating.

54. Inn divs.: RMS.  Inns are divided into RooMS.

55. Got together: MET.

60. News story intro, in journalism jargon: LEDE.  Def: the opening sentence or paragraph of a news article, summarizing the most important aspects of the story.

If that's all you read, then that's all you know.

61. Hailed vehicle: TAXI.  

These car lot Jeeps were damaged by a hailstorm, making them hailed vehicles.

62. "Swell!": NIFTY.

66. __ of expertise: AREA.

67. Skidded: SLID.

68. Typical film festival entry: INDIE.  Movies not produced by a major studio are called INDIEs. Theoretically, they have the freedom to be edgier than the standard fare.

69. Disinfectant target: GERM.

70. Uber driver's guess, for short: ETA.  Estimated Time of Arrival, for long

71. Folklore brutes: OGRES.

Down:
1. Lifeguard's lifesaving skill: Abbr.: CPR.  True story:  My dad once did CPR on a guy at a bar. He never took a class but had seen it done on TV. The paramedics told him he saved the guy's life.

2. Long-handled garden tool: HOE.  an uncomfortable history of the short-handled HOE 

3. Marshmallow roast residue: ASH.

4. Stock exchange membership: SEAT.  That is not what immediately comes to mind on a Monday but OK....

5. Owner of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant on "The Simpsons": MR. BURNS.

6. Tree limb: BRANCH.  

7. Hatcher of "Desperate Housewives": TERI.  

TERI won a Golden Globe award in 2005 for her Susan Mayer role.

8. Scissors sound: SNIP.  For some people, this sound triggers ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response).

9. Hopelessly lost: AT SEA.  Sextants were one way early sailors avoided being hopelessly lost while AT SEA.

10. Develop a fondness for: TAKE TO.  

11. Expressed a view: OPINED.

12. Fiddled (with): MESSED.  In this video, the musician is fiddling with the sound that his house's water pipe is making while playing his fiddle to its beat.  

15. Sharp knives: DAGGERS.

21. Decompose: ROT.  Every 1-2 weeks, I enjoy turning my compost pile and observing the various stages of decomposing material.  

22. Some reddish deer: ROES.  Just remember the song. ♪♪♪ ROE, a deer, a reddish deer. ♪♪♪

23. Requests: ASKS.

24. "SNL" alum Carvey: DANA.  This is DANA Carvey impersonating Bob Dylan on SNL's Weekend Update in 1991 (with anchor Dennis Miller and David Spade as Tom Petty).

25. Air quality concern: SMOG.  Everything seems to be turned into a portmanteau now-a-days, but SMoke + fOG = SMOG was a portmanteau pioneer.

29. Aid and __: ABET.

30. Monastic headquarters: ABBEY.

31. "However ... ": BUT.

35. Zest: TANG.

a TV commercial from 1966 for TANG (1 min.)

37. Takes down: DEFEATS.

38. "Unbelievable" rock band: EMF.  their website

EMF is an initialism for Epsom Mad Funkers.

40. Swindle: SCAM.

41. World-weary sigh: AH ME.

42. Ada Limón, e.g.: POET.  Born 28 March 1976, Ms. Limón is the author of six books of poetry. In 2022, she became the first Latina to be name POET Laureate of the U.S.

44. Monopolizes: HOGS.

45. Hall of "Coming 2 America": ARSENIO.  

Arsenio Hall co-starred with Eddie Murphy in Coming to America (1988).
Coming 2 America (2021) is the sequel.

46. Fatigue after a long flight: JET LAG.

47. Vague reply to "Where are you?": IN HERE. I liked this one.

48. Teacher, during exam week: GRADER.  CSO to the Cornerites who have been there and done that!

50. Tater Tots maker: OREIDA.

51. MLB official: UMP.  According to the Grammar Girl Podcast Episode 919, a language phenomenon called "rebracketing" is why we no longer say numpire. That word came to English from an Old French word nonpeer which means "not peer" or "peerless", essentially an arbiter of higher status than the participants. Eventually, [a] [numpire] became [an] [umpire]. Another example of rebracketing is [a] [napron] morphed into [an] [apron].

53. Starting squad: A-TEAM.  Are there any other (besides me) Le Tour fans here on The Corner? This link goes to the website where you can click on "TEAMS" then click on any of the 22 teams to see some serious A-TEAM members. Each team starts the race with 8 members but it is a long, grueling, 23-day race so many strong riders will drop out due to injuries or time cut-offs.

57. Cabbagelike vegetable: KALE.  

58. Offramp: EXIT.

59. Circle: RING.

63. POTUS on a dime: FDR.  "President Of The United States" is abbreviated, so is Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

64. Attach (to): TIE.

65. "Count me in!": YES.  We'll conclude on this positive note!

the grid

I hope I did not keep you too long. Enjoy your week, everyone!

 

Notes from C.C.:

Happy birthday to my incomparable mentor and friend Don "Hard G"! Without him, my puzzle book would not have been possible. Thanks for everything, Don!

Don & his wife Barbie

 

 

Sunday July 9, 2023 John Andrew Agpalo

Theme: "And/Or" - OR is added to each common phrase.

 

23. Abridged version of a Greek myth featuring a box full of troubles?: PANDORA EXPRESS. Panda Express.

41. Title of a "Jack and the Beanstalk" subreddit?: FEE-FI-FO FORUM. Fee-fi-fo-fum

58. Cry from a reveler who wants the weekend party to keep going?: SATURDAY NIGHT FOREVER. Saturday Night Fever.

79. Desire of a greedy lord?: EVERY MANOR FOR HIMSELF. Everyman For Himself.

93. Like a florist after Valentine's Day?: BORED OF ROSES. Bed of roses. Should have avoided: 28. Rest area?: BED.

115. Research scientist's unique explanation?: SINGULAR THEORY. Singular they.

I think this is our constructor. Congrats on your debut, John Andrew Agpalo!

Again we have a grid full of great long Downs. So impressive from a rookie constructor. 

Across:

1. Power couple?: AC DC. Nailed it. I once made a puzzle with POWER COUPLE as the reveal.

5. Furniture board: SLAT.

9. Flow slowly: SEEP.

13. "Hasta __": MANANA. Tomorrow.

19. "Go away!": SHOO.

20. Musical finale: CODA.

21. Category: TYPE.

22. Like a sleeping snake: COILED. They coil when they're scared also.

26. Current event in climate studies?: EL NINO. 37. Fox chaser?: TROT. Foxtrot. Lovely clues.

27. World record suffix: EST.

29. Baby's 28-Across: CRIB.

30. Ecru kin: TAN.

32. Parted partners: EXES.

33. Work on hooves: RE-SHOE.

35. Draw absentmindedly: DOODLE. Have any of you read Tim Urban's "Wait But Why?"

39. Hot dog: WEENIE.

46. One of Adam's sons: ABEL.

48. Rios on the road: KIAS. Kia Rio.

50. "__ Too Well": Taylor Swift song: ALL. I've never seen a more talented singer/song-writer.

51. Flow forth: EFFUSE.

52. Verses-versus-verses competitors: SLAM POETS.

55. "Show your cards": I CALL.

57. Tendon: SINEW.

61. Cut short, perhaps: EDITED.

62. Slice of history: ERA.

63. Party-planning site: E-VITE.

64. Asian occasion: TET. Same day as Chinese Spring Festival.

65. "Happy Birthday" writers, often: ICERS.

68. Smith of "The Karate Kid": JADEN. With Jackie Chan.

70. __ Na Na: SHA.

73. South African author Alan: PATON. He wrote "Cry, the Beloved Country".

 

75. Bridle attachment: BIT.

76. Like some cheese: GRATED.

85. Stationery shade: CREAM.

86. Lincoln neighbor: OMAHA. Gary is a bit north.

87. Lunar surface: MOONSCAPE.

88. Garage capacity: ONE-CAR.

90. Hush-hush maritime org.: ONI. Office of Naval Intelligence.

91. See 66-Down: ESTA. 66. With 91-Across, Spanish "How's it going?": COMO.

92. "You are something __": ELSE.

96. Church instruments: ORGANS.

99. Word from a baby doll: MAMA.

100. Start of the Marine Corps motto: SEMPER. Fi.

102. "Wednesday" actress Jenna: ORTEGA.

105. Flaky layered mineral: MICA.

108. __ Dhabi: ABU.

110. Munich article: EINE.

111. Campaign funding org.: PAC.

112. Hired ride: CAB.

113. Writer/director Nora: EPHRON.

119. Discipline featuring slow movements: TAI CHI. My hometown Xi'an.

120. Unit in the Monty Hall problem: DOOR.

121. Empire State canal: ERIE.

122. Terminates: ENDS.

123. Bronchial malady: ASTHMA.

124. "Even __ speak ... ": AS WE.

125. Small coin: DIME.

126. Dedicated works: ODES.

Down:

1. In accordance with: AS PER.

2. Action film climax, often: CHASE.

3. "Stop fretting": DON'T SWEAT IT. Partnered with 70. Move closer to home?: STEAL SECOND.
I love this pair of 10s also: 15. Hours for a typical day shift: NINE TO FIVE. 73. Nonviolent protest: PEACE MARCH.

4. Fish oil source: COD.

5. Use an X-ray, e.g.: SCREEN.

6. Dishwasherful: LOAD.

7. Sports drink suffix: ADE.

8. Mexico city known for silver jewelry: TAXCO. Rose from our local flea market is very into Taxco silverware. 

9. Walk confidently: STRIDE.

10. Solution for something that can't be unseen?: EYE BLEACH. From Urban Dictionary: "Looking or experiencing something nice after witnessing something horrid like a disgusting gif or a disturbing video".

11. Mini-albums, for short: EPS.

12. Unwelcome visitor: PEST.

13. John who won Wimbledon three times in the 1980s: MCENROE.

14. Yahoo! Inc. brand: AOL.

16. Hugo-winning writer __ E. Harrow: ALIX. Learning moment for me.

17. Aloha State bird: NENE.

18. Big fusses: ADOS.

24. Prominent instrument in "Swan Lake": OBOE.

25. Many univ. employees: PROFS.

31. DOJ bureau: ATF.

34. Former German chancellor Kohl: HELMUT.

35. Pantheon member: DEITY.

36. Note in a C minor triad: E FLAT.

38. Balance: OFFSET.

40. Store with a Swedish food market: IKEA. Someday I want to try their picked herrings.

42. Far from sated: ILL-FED.

43. Diviner's letter: RUNE.

44. App ad target: USER.

45. Kitten's "I'm hungry": MEW.

46. Benefit: ASSET.

47. Grass unit: BLADE.

49. "Up" actor Ed: ASNER.

53. Opposite of post-: PRE.

54. Unusual thing: ODDITY.

55. Tennis player Swiatek: IGA.

56. Totally adore: LOVE. Been loving cold sesame noodles lately. You need 68. Skippy rival: JIF.

 

59. Form 1040 org.: IRS.

60. Celebrate, as a new year: RING IN.

67. Captivate: ENAMOR.

69. Proton carriers: ATOMS.

71. Gives a hand: HELPS.

72. Price for a spot: AD FEE.

74. Spanish fleet: ARMADA.

75. Lingerie piece: BRA. So happy that Etam is also available in the US. 

77. Hotel divs.: RMS.

78. Upward climb: ASCENT.

79. Inventor Rubik: ERNO.

80. Turn suddenly: VEER.

81. Old iPods: NANOS.

82. "Ah, yes": OH I SEE NOW. Another nice fill.

83. Wind turbine part: ROTOR.

84. Winter coat?: HOAR. Frost.

85. Cookout discard: COB.

89. Black Sea country: ROMANIA.

91. "College Football Live" channel: ESPNU.

94. "Super": FAB.

95. Expatriate: EMIGRE.

97. Pointed beard: GOATEE.

98. Aqueduct element: ARCH.

101. Joined a conger line?: EELED. OK. Conga line.

103. Avant-__: GARDE.

104. Bottomless gulf: ABYSS.

105. Like crossword clues about crossword clues: META.

106. Milkshake beers, for short: IPAS.

107. Gambler's marker: CHIT.

109. Egg-grading org.: USDA.

111. Straight-laced: PRIM.

114. Resistance unit: OHM.

116. Memoji platform: IOS.

117. The NFL's Cardinals, on sports crawls: ARI. Arizona.

118. Dept. of Labor concern: EEO.

Happy 53rd birthday to dear Tony (Anon-T), our knowledgeable foodie, techie and loving friend. Here is a picture of Tony and Leo on July 3, 2021.

Anon-T & Leo